Micro slants? Still in use?

[Torsed]

Any opinion or observation on agar slants?

Just got a call from an ophthalmologist (yes, I work weekends.....180 k salary and all from a previous post) who wanted to culture an eye ulcer in clinic. Told them to just send the swabs over and our laboratory will handle it. Doc said that they do it best and wants the agar plates and slants to swab the ulcer themselves. I dropped the phone and was like, "whoa."

Very unusual. I told the doc I am impressed by their enthusiasm, but we have techs to swab the plates and its been literally decades since I've seen any hospital or even commercial lab screw with slants, pretty much we use Microscan if there is growth. Asked around and can't find anyone still doing slants. Somehow I don't think an ophthalmologist is cleared for swabbing plates, but I'll leave the CLIA issues aside. I said I would have the plates sent over to them for their swabbing festivities.

Anyone have any opinions?

Maybe the ophtho just swabbing their own urethral area?

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[BamaAlum]

Any opinion or observation on agar slants?

Just got a call from an ophthalmologist (yes, I work weekends.....180 k salary and all from a previous post) who wanted to culture an eye ulcer in clinic. Told them to just send the swabs over and our laboratory will handle it. Doc said that they do it best and wants the agar plates and slants to swab the ulcer themselves. I dropped the phone and was like, "whoa."

Very unusual. I told the doc I am impressed by their enthusiasm, but we have techs to swab the plates and its been literally decades since I've seen any hospital or even commercial lab screw with slants, pretty much we use Microscan if there is growth. Asked around and can't find anyone still doing slants. Somehow I don't think an ophthalmologist is cleared for swabbing plates, but I'll leave the CLIA issues aside. I said I would have the plates sent over to them for their swabbing festivities.

Anyone have any opinions?

Maybe the ophtho just swabbing their own urethral area?

Yeah, I think I would have to tell him no. Either your lab does the work or not. I am sure you have a specimen collection manual and I am sure it doesn’t have anything in there about swabbing agar plates. Tell him to leave it to the pros. You shouldn’t be doing LASIK and he shouldn’t be swabbing plates. Haven’t seen slants in a LONG time.

 

[ClinPathDO]

Any opinion or observation on agar slants?

Just got a call from an ophthalmologist (yes, I work weekends.....180 k salary and all from a previous post) who wanted to culture an eye ulcer in clinic. Told them to just send the swabs over and our laboratory will handle it. Doc said that they do it best and wants the agar plates and slants to swab the ulcer themselves. I dropped the phone and was like, "whoa."

Very unusual. I told the doc I am impressed by their enthusiasm, but we have techs to swab the plates and its been literally decades since I've seen any hospital or even commercial lab screw with slants, pretty much we use Microscan if there is growth. Asked around and can't find anyone still doing slants. Somehow I don't think an ophthalmologist is cleared for swabbing plates, but I'll leave the CLIA issues aside. I said I would have the plates sent over to them for their swabbing festivities.

Anyone have any opinions?

Maybe the ophtho just swabbing their own urethral area?

I was a lab assistant in microbiology before medical school, We would give ophtamology plates to streak (Sab, chocolate, and blood), they would inoculate them in one area and then bring the plates immediately to the lab for techs to streak. They would also usually inoculate a thio broth and universal viral transport media as well.

I would not have an ophthalmologist streak for isolation.

Opthamology would call asking for the strawberry, vanilla and chocolates plates (we knew what they meant)). One day I overheard a resident and attending leaving the lab. The resident asked the attending if the chocolate plate was actually made out of chocolate. I’ll never forget that one, thought it was pretty funny.

 

[Torsed]

So I asked where they were in this issue / process this a.m., here is what I’ve got from my query:

“I’ve been in contact with patient this morning. His Dad is a doctor and will bring me all the plates I need. So, no, I won’t need them now. I was going to text you in a few minutes - was just getting off the phone with them.”

Who knows what’s going on with all that. Even if a big box lab they are sending those plates to, no one picks up on Sunday (FedEx). I don’t even think the Quest planes fly on Sunday. I’m just gonna keep my lab out of that dumpster fire. Very odd. Thanks for the input. Insightful.